Leakproof barrel filler



Aug. 10, 1954 c. w. YOUNG 2,685,998

LEAKPROOF BARREL FILLER Filed Jan. 2, 1952 A7 1. fi a LQ 5 50 n 54 v 52 aviation fuel.

Patented Aug. 10, 1954 U-NI'I' EB :S :PA?! E NT Z'IQE'AKPHGOF BARREL -Gharles W. Young, {Drexel -H1'lll, Ta -assignor to Pennsylvania Flexible Metallic lilubhlg 130., iBhiladelphia, 21221., i3, corporation "of EPenns-yl- :vania Appiicaition January 2, 1952, Sei ial Noflzfi iifilm 2-Claims. :1

1 hreinventionrelates-to=drum fillers and more partioularlyito the type having-means :for automatically shutting off -?the flow ..of zfluid :to -.the drum when :the :fiuid level 'aeaches ea predeter- :mined l-height.

:Automatic .drurn fillers @are well-known :and have been widely used for many years. The

=Gar1liPatent No. .1;233,0.24 sis villustrative of such not safely be employed.

ilhe requirements -.of (modern mechanized .and aerial warfare are such that fuel storage -.depots at;advanced:bases are set-uptatzwhich individual vehicles .or individual -.-containers .such as ;the :iami-liar ijeep cans are filled with gasoline or The mechanism .used for :i'illing theseeans forms no part .of the present .invention, .but it wil -.be described briefly :because the .1158 .of such mechanism presents peculiar problems which are solved satisfactorily and safely only by the present ,invention.

In the 1.presentspeciucation,the term .barrel rfiller is :used .to-describe .the apparatus :to which the invention a-has Joeen applied, but it will .be understood thatany liquid receptacle, whetherit Joe-a drum, .can,.or.-ue1 tank,.-may housed :with the :device. :Qriginally, fillersof this sort were used only for oil drums. orzbarrels;and-therefore, .if -moderate or slight leakage-occurredeor if the shut-01f valve. did .not always function properly, no serious hi e or explosion "hazard was presentted. However, it is now required .thatia igangiof .fillers .be connected .to a large gasoline vmain :in .such a way that as .manyas five .or more fjeep .cans on aconveyor-are filledsimultaneoutlvand alsothere may .bea .pluralityof stations...at which "the simultaneous filling occurs at close proxim- .ity to one another. .Under these conditions, vit will beapparent that there must 'berabsoIuteIy loo-leakage of highly volatile fluid. Furthermore, .the action of the shut-off valve in each .filler must be positive .and foolproof, otherwise asubstantialouantity of .the fuelcould oespilled and ignited, withthe loss of the entire .fuel depot and personnel .in @the matter of a .-.few seconds.

.In view of the above requirement, .it .w-illlhe appreciated that the positive elimination of an .leaks.in a device vofthissort, together with absolute certainty .in the operation of the shut-off valve, presented a problem not .easyhf vsolution. In the first place, the float in the old type or filler would occasionally stick, thus permitting fluid to overflow,alsoleakage of'fluid sometimes occurred around the valve vzemtuating shaft.

A primary object of the present invention, itherefore, is to provide .inan .automatic 1-.barrel .:filler positive actuating means .ffor the shut-off valve.

iA'iurther-ob'ject of the'invention iseto provide in an automatic s'hut-ofi'barrl filler an improved f2 :constructioneliminatingleakage when theJfiller is .nsed for highly volatile lliquid solvents.

A further .object of the invention is to provide .an improved enoneleak seal .for an automatic shutolf Lbarrel .filler.

Eurther objects will 'he apparent from th specification. and drawings .in which:

Fig.1 is :ailongitudinal sectional View of my improved lbarrel filler;

.Fig. .2 is .a fragmentary detail showing the .trip'levenand valvellatch of my improved ffiller;

.Fig. .13 is an-enlargedsectional (detail as seen at 13-13 of Rig. .2;

Alis an enlarged sectional detail as seen at !}--'4..of.-Fig.2;

Fig. -5 is .an enlarged detail in plan of the adjusting mechanism for the trip lever;

.liig. .5 shows the installation -in which a gang .dfidrumffillers are to be used inconjunction with a conveyor; and

Fig. '7'is a section. as seen at 1l of .Eig. .6.

Referring'now moreparticularly tothe draw-- jugs, my improved jdrum filler comprises a main housing illlI-having a threaded fluid inlet connection 1 I which communicates with a chamber 1:2 .lin'the .upper'part of the housing. A spring load- .e'd mushroom type valve [3 :permits fiui'd -in chamber I2 to pass 'intothe lower chamber 14 when the valveis raised from valve seat'lE. A valve .guide "it is secured to the upper part of valve 13 and is surroundedby a' suitable compression spring l1. Valve guide it extends "into cap "[8 provided with "fluid passages '19, "i9, and is .sl'idably retained in a spider 25!. Spring H is compressed between spider'iil and the :valvewhen it "is raised.

The valve stem 25 is guided in a boss "wand the end of'thestem is tapered at'ZTto minimize any'tendency forthe valve :to'stick. Vertical ac- "tua'tion o'fthe valve is provided" through a flange 23.011the valve stem"25'which cooperates with a pair of cam fingers29, 29 on the valve "actu'ating shaft 30. "Shaft 3011s rotatably mounted in housing .10 ..as shown inFig. 4, the outboard end of .the sheiit extending-through the housing and carryingn latch 3'! non rotatably :secured'to the squared .en'd of'the shaft by means'of nut 32 and .lock nut 33. "The opposite end of the shaft is .journaledin'a"removable cap it tightly threaded ."into the housing am.

Sincethe shaft fifl must beoperated externally 01 the chamber "I 0,;it 'is extremely importantthat suitable sealing "means for the strait he provided. "lnthe improve'd construction, In iideadouble ,seal for the shaft, each element thereoi "acting both axially and radially. One seal, however, :serves additionally as .a thrust "bearing for the shaft. An integral "flange 35 on "shaft 30 compresses -a".'I'eflon washer 36 against an' internal annular boss 3] by 'means of a compression spring 38 "in'cap "3'4. "The shaft isprovided with an annularrelief groove39 contiguous to and-in back'of washer36. "The outer"'Iefion-seal or washer All for the shaft is pressed into radial engagement therewith by means of a gland nut 4| as shown clearly in Fig. 4 and pressure of the nut ll seals the washer ii} against housing to prevent leakage therebetween. Particular emphasis is directed to the Teflon seals or washers 35 and 40. As noted above, it is of paramount importance to eliminate any possibility of leakage when the barrel filler is used for volatile liquids and particularly solvents such as gasoline,

naphtha, and acetone. I have found that a polymer of tetrafluroethylene is the only material known which has the required properties for such a sealing. This material is chemically inert and is therefore not attacked by solvents with which drums or barrels may be filled. It has satisfactory tensile strength, and above all, it does not require lubrication even under the pressures needed to effect proper mechanical sealing. 2 have found, therefore, that this material permits adequate sealing pressure to be applied by means of spring 38 and also gland nut 13!. The elimination of lubrication or what is more important, the elimination of the harmful effects incident to improper or insufficient lubrication, even under substantial pressure permits long life and leakproof operation of my barrel filler. Teflon is the trade name for a polymer of tetrafluoroethylene manufactured and sold by the E. I. du Pont de Nemours Company.

Referring now to Figs. 1-3 it will be noted that latch 31 pivots through an angle of substantially 90 to raise and lower valve 53 by means of fingers 29, 29. The valve is retained in an open or raised position against the pressure of spring ll when the beveled edge 55 of latch 35 seats on top of the shoulder ie on pivoting trigger ill. Fig. 3 shows the trigger in position for retaining the valve open. The trigger is mounted ona removable bolt d8 secured in the housing by means of a lock nut 39. It is also provided with a counterweight 58 which may be rotated around screw 55 to insure that the trigger 4'5 returns to a reset position after the latch 3! has been released. The opposite end 52 of the trigger passes through an eye 55 in float rod 5 2 as shown in 2 and the top of end 52 is rounded to conform to the inner contour of the eye, an important feature in preventing sticking.

Liquid passing irom chamber 12 into chamber [4 flows downwardly therethrough and into a spout or nozzle 55 which carries a float chamber 59 at its lower end. The float chamber 56 is open at the bottom only, so that liquid falling downwardly through nozzle 55 passes outwardly and over the top of float chamber 55 through orifices 5'5, 51. In this way, the float 58 is not affected by the velocity of inflowing liquid. The float rod 5 3 which is connected to float 53 extends upwardly through a guide or sleeve 59 and is hung on the trigger 1-7 as previously described. The bottom of sleeve 59 fits tightly in the cap 55d of the float chamber 55 so that the only liquid entrance to the chamber is through the bottom thereof. Furthermore, the bore of sleeve 59 is considerably greater than the diameter of rod 54 so that the only contact between the float and the rod and the barrel filler is at an annular flange 68 around the float and at the trigger ll. In this way, it will be observed thatlateral contact and movement of the float and rod are reduced to a minimum and this feature is important in preventing binding or sticking in the spout or housmg.

In operation at a refuelling depot, a plurality of barrel fillers are connected to a fuel main 65 as shown in Fig. 6'. Suitable hand valves 66, may be installed between the main and each filler. For expeditious filling, a plurality of jeep cans iii are carried on conveyor 68 between side rails 69, 6%). The conveyor 68 is run intermittently so that, for example, 6 cans are stopped in line with a raised gang of fillers. The gang is then swung downwardly by means of a bracket 10 to insert the filler spouts into the cans. The individual valves 66, or a main valve not shown is opened to permit fluid to flow into the cans as soon as the latches t! 3i on each filler have been et. When the fluid level in the cans reaches a predetermined level, the float 58 in each filler rises to pivot the triggers 47, ll thus releasing latches 31, 3! and automatically closing valves l3, 13. As soon as all of the valves have tripped, bracket '50 i raised and the conveyor started, so that the next group of cans may be similarly filled.

It will thus be understood that I have provided an extremely safe and practical automatic barrel flller which can be used for the simultaneous filling and handling of large quantities of highly volatile fuel or solvent. The device is foolproof and leakproof and therefore can be used indefinitely with a minimum of servicing and complete safety.

Having thu described my invention, 1' claim:

1. In an automatic barrel filler of the type having a housing, a fluid inlet in the upper part of said housing, a fluid outlet in the lower part of said housing, a spout connected to said housing at the fluid outlet, a spring loaded valve providing fluid communication between the upper and the lower parts of the housing, a latch for holding the valve in an open position, and a float actuated mechanism for tripping said latch when the float is raised to a predetermined level, the improvement that comprises: a trigger pivotally mounted on said housing, walls defining a fluid outlet in the spout, a float chamber at the bottom of said spout, said float chamber being positioned below the fluid outlet in the spout and shielded therefrom, a, sleeve secured in the top of the float chamber and extending to a point in registry with the trigger, a float in the float chamber, a float rod extending upwardly through the sleeve and secured to the trigger, a rotatable shaft journaled in the filler housing, means on said shaft for actuating the valve, an annular shoulder on said shaft, a synthetic plastic washer between the shoulder and the inside of the housing, a spring between one end of the shaft and the housing urging the shoulder into axial sealing engagement with the washer, a, second synthetic plastic washer surrounding the shaft, a gland nut adjustable from the outside of the housing and compressing said second washer in the housing and against'the shaft, and a latch connected to the shaft on the outside of the housing for rotating the shaft in the housing to open and close the valve.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which both of the washers are formed of a polymer of tetrafluoroethylene.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED$TAT1JS PATENTS Number Name Date 915,725 Baines et al Mar. 23, 1909 1,001,249 Carll Aug. 22, 1911 1,064,208 Hardwick June 10, 1913 1,400,275 Fisk Dec. 13, 1921 

